Page 18 of Snitches and Serpents

In order to get her expelled, I need to first cut her off from her support system. In other words, her sorority. If they consider her one of their own, they will do everything they can to keep her here. So first, I need to get her kicked out of her sorority. And then, she will have no one to protect her and vouch for her when I set my true plan in motion.

Revenge burns through me, and a vicious smile slides across my lips.

Because of her, I almost lost my spot at Bercester U. So it’s only fair that I return the favor.

I glance towards the left.

Brandi, the blonde girl who opened the door this morning, and some of the others from their sorority have arrived and are now getting their food.

I shift my gaze to Amir and the rest of my housemates. “Follow my lead.”

Paul blinks at me in surprise, but Amir, who also works as a punisher rather than a dealer, simply nods. Grabbing my tray, I stand up from our table and start towards Elle. The sounds of scraping chairs and clanking of plastic trays informs me that the others are following as well.

Since Elle has her back to us, she doesn’t see us coming.

She whips her head towards me with a start as I drop down on the chair right next to her. Amir takes the seat on her other side while Paul, Ian, and Jonas sit down opposite us on the other side of the table.

Elle’s brown eyes are as wide as dinner plates as she stares between the five of us. I lean forward a little. The others follow my lead and do the same, crowding her space.

“What are you doing?” she at last blurts out, her stunned gaze locking on me.

“What does it look like?” I pointedly spear a piece of meat and pop it in my mouth. “Eating lunch.”

“But you can’t sit here. This is?—”

“Elle,” a female voice suddenly interrupts.

Tearing my gaze from the nervous woman seated beside me, I look up and find Brandi and the rest of her entourage standing next to the table. Her pale brows are furrowed in both confusion and annoyance as she looks between us and Elle.

“What’s going on?” she asks, locking her displeased stare on Elle.

“She invited us over to sit with her,” I reply before Elle can so much as open her mouth. Then I let a calculated and, in my not-so-humble opinion, very convincing frown settle on my features. “Why are you here?”

Indignation flashes across Brandi’s face. “This is our table.”

“Really?”

She must have been able to hear the lethal softness in my tone, because she casts a wary glance between the five of us White Serpents and edges a fraction of a step back.

“I didn’t invite them over,” Elle protests. “I promise. They just showed up and?—”

“We will be sitting over there today,” Brandi interrupts, and nods towards an empty table a short distance away. “If you don’t want to sit with them, you can come and join us.”

Before Elle can reply, Brandi turns on her heel and strides away. The other girls follow.

Elle immediately starts trying to stand up.

I yank my hand down and place my palm firmly on her thigh, pushing her back down in her seat.

“Sit down,” I order.

She jerks slightly when my hand lands on her bare thigh, and because of the power I put behind that small push, her motion is halted and she sits down hard on the chair again.

“And where do you think you’re going?” I say, keeping my hand on her leg.

She just stares down at my hand for a second before anger flits across her beautiful features instead. Grinding her teeth, she drags her angry gaze up to me.

“I’m leaving,” she declares.

---